Opponent Preview: Nevada

Opponent Preview: NEVADA!

This game has more importance in it then many Irish fans may believe... This isn't just any "cupcake" team, and even if it was, just look at what happened with San Diego State last year.. Whatever the case, this game should not be taken lightly.

The Nevada Wolf Pack went 7-6 in 2008, identical to Notre Dame's record, but went defeated against ranked teams, also identical to the Irish. Also like the Irish, Nevada did not really have a significant win which defined their season, but instead many significant losses.

So what sets apart Notre Dame from Nevada? Well, Nevada has one of the best running defenses in college football; ranked at #6 in the nation, one behind USC. But negating that stellar run defense is Nevada's pass defense, which is the worst in college football, which may foreshadow a great day for Jimmy and company come September 5th.

Nick Montana verbally commits to Washington

Nick Montana commits to Washington

Nick Montana, son of former Notre Dame legend, Joe Montana verbally committed to Washington today, further diminishing the list of quarterback recruits the Irish were hoping to obtain.

I'm not going to lie, this one is a killer... Not only did he halt the family tradition at Notre Dame, but he went to, but he went to a former USC coach team.. At 6-2 177, he isn't the most physically-gifted quarterback among this year's recruits, and could definitely use some work in the weight room. Though, scouts say he has many intangibles, much like his father had. Intangibles which, like every Irish fan knows, could help him become a legend at Washington.

At Washington, Nick not only has a great opportunity to become a great player, but also has a tremendous opportunity to become a legendary college quarterback. Steve Sarkisian, head coach of the Washington Huskies, is a great quarterback coach: having coached USC great's Carson Palmer, Matt Leinart, and Mark Sanchez, and Nick apparently wishes to join that list. Nick has a great chance at Washington to become the foundation of a faltering program. This is exactly what the Huskies needed to do to get back on the right track, and Nick is a great fit for their style of play.

The impact of Nick's commitment are huge to Notre Dame, who badly need to recruit a quarterback, after missing out on one last year. Jimmy Clausen, who attended the same high school as Nick did, signed in 2007. Dayne Crist, Notre Dame's next quarterback, signed in 2008 and was redshirted, which allows him to have 2 years of eligibility if Clausen chooses to play his senior year. A quarterback for this year's recruiting class is absolutely top priority for the Irish. If they do not obtain a quarterback this year, they will have to start an inexperienced freshman, and it will be 2007 all over again.. That is why Nick's verbal is crucial to Irish future success.

List of Quarterback's offered by the Irish that are left:

-Andrew Hendrix: almost committed to Notre Dame during unofficial visit, which is great news.
-Pete Thomas
-Luke Massa
-Kyle Smith

Armando Allen

Armando Allen

Armando Allen is easily top amongst my favorite Irish players, definitely my favorite offensive player. He reminds me of former Irish running back, Darius Walker. His body frame is much like Walker's (5-10 190lbs vs. 5-11 200lbs), and they both led the team in all purpose running during their freshmen and sophomore years respectfully. As a player, Armando shares the versatility that Walker did at Notre Dame. Armando can do it all: he can return it to the house, he can run it to the house, and he can snag a grab in the house. What makes all of this possible is Allen's blazing speed. He ran a 4.30 in high school, which is much faster than Walker's 4.45 forty time. With all of his versatility and speed, it seems that Armando has underperformed despite leading the Irish in all purpose yards in 2008.

I believe that the leading cause of Armando's running woes and the Irish overall rushing woes have been the offensive line. It all begins in the trenches, and that is why I believe the addition of Frank Verducci as offensive line coach will exceedingly improve the offensive line, which in turn will improve the running game. The offensive line the past two years haven't developed large enough holes for Irish running backs, but especially Armando Allen to showcase their speed. When the line did open up holes, they closed rapidly, which, combined with Armando Allen's lack of confidence and experience, was a recipe for negative yardage. Along with under confidence and a just awful line, Allen also suffered a leg injury during his senior year in high school. Although his injuries had no affect on his running abilities entering his freshmen year, they definitely left him second guessing on whether or not to hit a hastily-closing hole.

In 2009, I predict Allen will rush for over 1000 yards and yet again lead the Irish for all purpose yards. He will overcome his fear of being injured again, which I believe hindered his confidence in the past. He displayed more confidence in the 80th annual Blue Gold game than he has ever shown, which gives me reason to believe Allen will become Notre Dame's next 1000 runner, answering any fan's question about the Irish rushing attack.

English Essay

In my Junior year English class, we had to write an essay about first experiences. I chose to write about the Irish. Please feel free to comment and critique my essay, but keep in mind I only had 30 minutes to write it. Thanks! GO IRISH!

The dull roar of the crowds overwhelms my thoughts about this game. The excessively long grass to slow the speedy USC players, the pale green jerseys to honor the former greats, the “Bush Push,” the shamrock green crowd, Touchdown Jesus, everything now seems a blur to me; too quick for me to remember or recall. But nevertheless, this game left an everlasting footprint in my mind, soul, and heart. Despite one of the toughest loses I have ever endured. Despite countless hours of gnawing at my shirt, causing what it seemed to be an enormous glob of sweat, but in fact was merely nervous drool as a consequence of rooting for the “underdogs.” The “Fighting Irish”: I still don’t know why I picked who I did. I could’ve gone with the safe bet; the USC Trojans were picked by almost every analyst. But, I think it is just in my nature to pick the underdog. Just like USC, the Irish stayed faithful to their nickname. The “Fighting Irish” did fight, they fought until the last seconds of the game, and like the Irish, USC held to their name. Quite controversially, might I add, the USC Trojans snuck by the Irish gate in a Trojan horse, but only one man got by. The loss showed me so many things of which I had never realized. The Irish gave me something priceless, something nothing else could have given me: Passion. The chants, the awes, the boos, the cheers, every Irish fan showed a passion unlike any other fanatic. The Irish fans were truly fanatics, and fulfilled every definition of the word. Passion, honor, excellence, academics, all are a part of the Notre Dame tradition, which transpired into me on that Saturday in October. I am lucky, proud, and truly honored to have experienced this magical and memorable event in my life and I now am proud to bleed blue and gold.

Jimmy Clausen #7

So really, who is this mysterious Jimmy character? Masked behind the image of an arrogant Californian kid, I dont think anyone has seen the real Jimmy behind the mask. The only thing we do know is that he has yet to live up to his hype... The famed Jimmy Clausen arrived in South Bend at the College Hall of Fame to commit to Notre Dame. His arrogance was highlighted not only by the limo that he arrived in, but also by his ridiculous hair style... Guaranteeing four national championships, Clausen called attention to Notre Dame, and after a 3-9 record, Clausen was criticized more than Charlie Weis. He was the #1 football recruit coming out of high school in 2006 and has since disappeared behind the scrutiny thrown at him by the media, fans, and foes alike.

As a freshmen, Clausen was thrown to the dogs three games into his Irish career. Looking like a baby among adults, Clausen was sacked a record 58 times.. His 2007 year was summarized by a flaky line followed by a horde of opponents chasing after the freshman... Not the sort of year expected as the #1 recruit.. and 2008 wasn't much different.

After scraping by San Diego State, a so called "cupcake" team, to start off the 2008 National Championship campaign, Notre Dame looked anything but Championship bound. The rest of the 2008 season did nothing but darken Jimmy's identity. After throwing for 383 yards against #22 ranked North Carolina in a heart-wrenching loss, Jimmy then threw for only 202 yards and 1 pick against a winless Washington... WASHINGTON? Jimmy only continued to beffudle me.. after overthrowing a wide open Michael Floyd in the end zone, which would have sealed an overtime victory against a formidable opponent (Pittsburgh), Clausen threw four picks and was shut out by Boston College... To make matter worse, needing a win against a God-awful Syracuse to bolster the already disintegrating fan loyalty, Clausen and company instead choked in front of Manti Teo, a highly sought after recruit and the rest of the Irish faithful.. like a slap to the face of God himself, Jimmy only continued Irish woes by throwing for 40, yes 40!!!!!! yards versus #5 USC. As if 40 yards wasn't bad enough, it was against hated USC scum... oh what I would do for a win against USC.... but nevertheless, the Irish went 6-6, even though they were predicted to win double digit games at the beginning of the year... headed into the Hawaii Bowl, no one knew what to expect..

The Irish could either A. continue the Irish tradition of losing bowl games, or B. Win the game on Christmas eve, and give every Irish fan the greatest Christmas present of all.. a bowl win! Clausen chose B. What a smart cookie. Clausen displayed brilliance on that Christmas eve, brilliance that even the Grinch couldn't help but notice. Clausen threw for an astounding 400 yards with 5 touchdowns. Clausen was flawless.. literally. The only incompletions he had were the receiver's fault, not his. I don't think I have ever seen such a display of talent out of a Notre Dame quarterback. It was almost as though the Gods had shown Jimmy the light, and blessed him with half God- half Tim Tebow like abilities. Now this was Jimmy's true identity. This blonde-haired, arrogant Cali boy, with a smile stretching from South Bend to Hawaii, was the true Jimmy Clausen. I couldn't blame him though, I too was smiling. But then I realized, this was Hawaii, the same Hawaii which had the 79th ranked passing defense in 2008. So was it Clausen's gun that stomped on Hawaii's Christmas cheer that day? or was it just an awful Hawaii team? I don't know, and I really don't think anyone knows. No one will truly know who Jimmy Clausen is until the next season unfolds. Will he be the next Golden Boy, a shining star in the center of college football highlights? Or will he be Mr. Hyde, tossing picks left and right, leading the Irish into their certain deaths? Although my patience is running dear, I will have to hold my opinion on Clausen until September 5, 2009. After then, let the judging begin..

The Perfect Storm

The Irish will go undefeated this year. Bold, I know, but everything is set into place for the Irish to complete the task. The only question of whether or not Notre Dame will achieve perfection is whether Jimmy Clausen can finally live up to his hype. The answer to that question.. Yes, he will. I have compiled a list of reasons the Irish will live up to their name...

- First and foremost, Jimmy Clausen now has more playing time than any Junior in College Football. He has started 23 of 25 games that he has been at Notre Dame. With this experience he will become more composed in the pocket, he will not force as many throws that lead to costly errors last season, and he will become more comfortable with the quick collegiate game. Experience matters people.

-In 2005 the Irish went 9-3 with a BCS bowl game. Although 9-3 is not perfect, it is still a solid record, and during that year Notre Dame defeated two ranked teams in a row (Pittsburgh, Michigan), something Irish fans still are yearning for. During this 2005 season, the Irish were lead by junior, Brady Quinn. Although some may say Jimmy Clausen does not have what it takes to be Notre Dame's next Brady Quinn, bite your tongue please. Jimmy Clausen, in fact, will have a better Junior year than Quinn did for a couple of different reasons. First, Jimmy Clausen as a junior will have more experience and playing time then Quinn did as a junior. Second, Jimmy Clausen will throw behind a more seasoned line, one of the most veteran line's in college football, mind you, than Quinn did. Thirdly, Jimmy Clausen has more weapons than Brady Quinn had. Golden Tate and Michael Floyd had a combined 1799 yard, 17 touchdown year during Clausen's sophomore campaign. During Quinn's sophomore campaign, Stovall and Samardzija had a 587, 1 touchdown campaign, not even close to what Tate and Floyd had... And the scary part is, Samardzija and Stovall during Quinn's junior year had a whopping 2398 yard, 26 touchdown year... If that were to happen to Tate and Floyd's stats, that would be adding 900 yards and 13 touchdowns to each one of their receiving totals.... which would be unGodly... Now I know this seems highly impossible and ludacris, but really, who's to say it can't happen? With a more experienced line and better weapons than Quinn had, why can't Clausen do the impossible? Quite frankly, I believe in Clausen's abilities and I believe this could actually happen, maybe not to Tate and Floyd respectfully, but to other potential break-out weapons like Armando Allen, Kyle Rudolph, Duval Kamara, Shaquelle Evans, or anyone else. And with such a cup-cake schedule, which an average passing defense ranked 52nd in the nation (200.9 ypg), why can't Clausen put up numbers, parallel to or better than, Quinn's 2005 numbers. The fact of the matter is, he can. Clausen can and will put up numbers far exceeding Quinn's numbers. He wasn't ranked as the top overall prospect in the country for nothing. Just be patient, Jimmy will shine.

-Now we all now the Irish rushing game has been our Achilles heel since Quinn left, but I believe that in 2009 our woes will come to an end. Ever since the departure of Darius Walker, no one has been able to fill in his footsteps. Irish fans alike have been begging for a 1000 yard runner, and no one has stepped up. Now comes the time for Armando Allen to shine. His potential is boundless and I believe he will show is true self this coming Fall. Despite only rushing for 585 yards last season, Allen will run for 1000 yards. Why do I say this? For many different reasons... Statiscally, Allen has a better yards per carry than 1000 yard rusher Darius Walker did his freshman year (4.33 vs. 4.25 ypc) And while only touching the ball on average 11 times a game, versus Walker who touched it around 16, Armando Allen still racked up an impressive 1549 all purpose yards, more than Walker gained in his 1196 yard rushing campaign in 2005. And keep in mind, Allen has ran behind one of the worst lines in college football, which in 2007 lead the nations in sacks allowed and broke the NCAA record for most sacks allowed in a season..... something no Irish lineman or fan is proud of. And along with a more veteran line, comes a new line coach, Frank Verducci, from which what I have heard, has already tremendously help the Irish and will continue to help the Irish offensive game. Also, with the move of James Aldridge to fullback, there will be about 8 more carries given out between Allen and Hughes, which will probably be headed Allen's way. With the addition of new running backs coach, Tony Alford, who coached the 2006 Louisville runners who boasted an impressive 188.67 yards per game, which was 12th in the nation. Although, sometimes stats are misleading... but, Allen, in my opinion, seemed to hit his holes faster, harder, and with more confidence than I had seen before during the Blue and Gold game, which in fact, landed him the games offensive MVP, an award which I think will be given to him at the end of the 2009 season as well.. Armando Armando Allen is a more versatile and quicker player than Darius Walker was, which sets the precedent for a tremendous Junior year, something long awaited for by many Irish fans.

-New Recruits: The Irish bring in a highly-touted, talented, but young group of recruits for 2009. The cream of the crop being Manti Teo. Being ESPN's #2 rated overall recruit behind LSU's Russell Sheppard, Manti Teo is the biggest defensive recruit Notre Dame has ever picked up. Manti will start, but no one for sure knows how much time will be sent his way. Packed in between a deep Irish linebacking core, Manti's impact could be anywhere from none to a lot. No one knows for sure. But many know for sure that the addition of previously 5 star ranked Cierre Wood, 4 star Shaquelle Evans, and Offensive Linemen, Chris Watt and Alex Bullard, will bolster the already overflowing Irish offensive depth chart. Depth is good, very good.

-Going back to the comparison between Quinn's 2004 year and Clausen's 2008 year, I couldn't help but noticing some uncanny similarities... Quinn posted 2586 yards, 17 touchdowns, 10 interceptions, and a passer rating of 125.9 in his sophomore year. Clausen in his sophomore year may not have performed much better, but nonetheless better than Quinn who went on to become a Heisman trophy candidate and a first round NFL draft pick. So if Clausen has performed better than Quinn did in his junior year he should perform better than Quinn's junior year, am I right? If I am, that means Clausen will surpass an astonishing 3919 yard, 32 touchdown, 7 interception, 158.4 passer rating season. And if so, Clausen will become a likely top 10 quarterback, a Heisman candidate, and a first round lock for the NFl.. in his Junior year. And I bodly believe Clausen will in fact accomplish this amazing feat. Clausen has been the best Irish quarterback in history during his first two seasons. Say what??? Yes, its true. Although his first two seasons have been a disaster, in all reality, he has done what no Irish quarterback has ever done before, and is on his way to start more games than any other Irish quarterback. So if in fact he has so far out performed previous Irish greats such as Paul Hornung, Joe Theisman, Joe Montana, Brady Quinn, Tony Rice, and countless others in his first two years, he will continue to do so in his next two. He can do it, but he needs to be the #1 overall high school football propsect that he was in 2006. He can and will do it. He has the arm, he has the weapons, he has the line, he has the schedule, he has the coach, he has the spotlight. He's the Golden Boy in every since of the word. 2009 has shone a spotlight on Jimmy Clausen brighter than any other spotlight shone on an Irish quarterback. Everything rests on his shoulders.

So, as the 2009 season unfolds, more scrutiny and interest will be laid on Fighting Irish football than ever before. But I believe, such as every Irish fan should, that the Irish will live up to every definition of their name, "Fighting." They will fight in every sense of the world to claw their way back to the top of the College Football world where they belong. All is set, all is laid in front of the Irish. This season will be determined by how much the Irish want it, how much more they want it than the team battling opposite. Everything is aligned for the Irish, 2009 is the Perfect Storm... will it crash upon the Irish? or will it lead them to Glory? only September 5th can tell..

Greetings!!!

Hey Everyone! This is my first blog, and how fitting to devote it to the Irish. I am a lifelong Irish fan and I couldn't help but express my thoughts and feelings about my beloved team in a blog. I have heard so much about this so-called "blogging" and decided to give it a try. Feel free to comment and feedback is highly recommended! I will try to post everyday so please follow. I cannot contain my excitement for this upcoming season. GO IRISH!